


The Woods

by Fell_Incarnation



Category: Marble Hornets
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-27
Updated: 2020-04-27
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:28:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23871631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fell_Incarnation/pseuds/Fell_Incarnation
Comments: 1
Kudos: 9





	The Woods

They say to stay out of Rosswood park. Strange creatures live there. They say if you aren't careful, you'll wind up fed to the beast that lies within.

Parents tell their children to beware of strangers they meet in the woods. "Don't tell the tall man your name," They say, "He'll steal it and give it to the dark."

Too many times has a child disappeared, their name only a whisper left on the wind as the beast devours any memory of them.

Teenagers are told to resist the pull of music. "The riffs that are pulled through the trees are only there to tempt you," They say, "If you get too close, you'll never return."

Losing them to the music hurts the most. The beast can't erase the memory of those it didn't consume.

Stories are passed down of those who went into the woods looking for answers and came out looking inhuman. Lost souls, doomed to forever wander between the trees.

"Beware of the figures in the trees." The elderly tell their children, now fully grown. "The man who hides in the branches is a silent killer. And a brutal one."

Those who manage to escape always say the same thing. "The man with the antlers helped me escape." The faun seems frightened of the other creatures. He hides from them.

They say to stay out of Rosswood park. Though some can't resist its pull.

* * *

Drawn in by the stories, a child finds her way inside the woods. She is lost, but she is always lost when not holding her mother's hand. She wanders down the trails, stumbling over rocks and branches. She doesn't see anything.

"Who's this?"

She turns, a figure standing where there wasn't one before. He's tall. She doesn't answer his question.

"May I have your name?" His head tilts, almost unnaturally. She shakes her head.

"Mom says I'm not supposed to talk to strangers."

"Am I a stranger? C'mon, you can trust me."

Something in his eyes tells her she shouldn't.

"No, thank you." She says, continuing on her merry way. She can feel his eyes on the back of her head. She doesn't look back at him. She can hear footsteps behind her. She doesn't look back at him. She can feel him closing in on her. She doesn't look back at him. Suddenly, the presence was gone. He had lost interest.

She deviates from the trail, weaving between the trees. She catches a glimpse of an eerie light. She follows it. Not speaking, simply watching. As she gets closer, it takes shape. It looked like a woman. Younger than her mother. She seemed unhappy.

"Are you lost?" The young girl asks the spirit, watching the way she slowly walked through the trees. 

"In a sense." The spirit replies. She was trapped in limbo. Not quite alive, not quite dead. She seemed to wish for the latter.

"I'm sorry." The spirit nods in acknowledgment before swiftly floating away. Neither said goodbye.

The girl continues wandering the forest, no part of her concerned about the creatures she was meeting. As she walks deeper into the woods, she hears soft music. She follows the sound, curious but not controlled. When she found the source, it was a man, resting in a tree. He didn't seem to notice her. She sits at the base of the tree, listening to his song. She was not hypnotized by the sound, her mind too young to feel the urge to follow it to her demise. The man opens one eye. He sees her.

"You shouldn't be here." He tells her, a warning.

"Why not?"

"I could hurt you." This gives her pause. She stands up and looks at the man.

"But you won't." She says, though she still turns on her heel and starts to walk away. "Thank you." She adds as she leaves. Whether it was a thank you for the song or for sparing her was anybody's guess.

She starts to reach the darker recesses of the forest. The trees are taller, the patches of light are slimmer. She makes sure that each step she took landed within a sliver of light. She sees a figure in the distance. He blends in with the trees. He doesn't speak to her. She simply waves at him and turns around, understanding she wasn't welcome. 

When she finally escapes the dark, she finds that she doesn't know her way out. She walks in the direction she believes out to be. The sound of leaves crunching behind her makes her turn around. 

"You need to go back to your family." It was the man with antlers. She had been told that he was a guide.

"I'm lost." She tells him.

"I know. I can help." He takes her hand. It felt as comforting as her father's. "Don't be afraid." He says, something about his tone seeming to ward off any evil that may be lingering around her. He smiles to himself, orienting himself to the exit. "Let's get you home."


End file.
